Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-09-16
THE DIFFUSION PROCESS.
Comr. Celman Delighted with its Sue
cess-he Regards the Experiments of
As Great Importance to the Country as
the Invention of the Cotton Gin.
The Omaha is not Entitled to Certif-
cation of any Mere Indemnity Lands.
THE NEW SUGAR PROCESS.

Commissioner Colmsn's Views on the Subject.
WASHINGTON, Sept. l9.-Commissioner
Colmsn has just returned from an official
visit TO Ft. Scott, Kansas, where the de-
partment of agriculture is conducting
experiments in making sugar from sorg-
hum by the diffusion process and ex-
presses himself as being delighted with
the resclts obtained already. He saws
the experiment consists in the trial of a
new process IN the making of sugar in
this country, which dispeuses entirely
with the costly and pondeGous mills and
steam engines, etc, and uses far simpler
and less expensive method for extracting
the Juice by which all the saocAarine
matter is obtained instead of about
half as heretofore. The new
process is called the diffusion
or ssturation process. The cane is cut
into chips and placed into battery of
twelve cells each holding ton of chips.
Hot water is then applied which rapidly
extracts the sacharine matter and so
thoroughly that there is scarcely a trace
of ii left. The cells are entirely practi-
cal being speedily filed, manipulated and
employed one man tending to the entire
operation. The mill ut Ft. Scott is cap-
able of working up every - hours
15o tons of cane, making therefrom u.s.
600 pounds of sugar or more. A yield of
from ten to fifteen tons of cane per acre
was being secured, which would produce,
by this new process, from 1900 TO
$4,000 pounds of sugar. This sugar is
worth by the carload. five and one-halt
cents per pound. Nor Us this ALL To
every ton of cane, aside from the sugar
in 1t, there are some ten or twelve gal
Ions of mola ,ses, and also the seed raised
upon the cane, amounting to about
five bushels per acre and Just as good
for feeding all kinds of stock as Indian
corn. Indeed the seed thus estimated
will pay for the raising of the corn
which is merit possessed by no other
sugar plant, The department is also
conducting satisfactory experiments in
New Jersey. The results these expert
ments will have upon the country WILL,
believe, be most beneficial. Our nation
is paying Sl0o,OooO00 annually to the
sugar producers of other countries
and if we have demonstrated
that we can proftably produce sugar on
our own farms. IL is n matter of the
highest importance to the country. It
will not only keep this money at home
but will save to our people S5o00o,0O0
annually in custom duties. | cannot see
why our people should not go 80 making
sugar. A complete sugar factory will
cost about as much "a Touring
mill and can be run at great
profit according to tho present expert
ments. Farmers are glad to raise cane
at 81 per ton, and at that it pays better
than other farm products. l look upon
these experiments as important to this
country as the cotton gin. They have
demonstrated that we have a sugar plant
that can be grown and converted profit
ably into sugar south of the seth parallel
(out of the reach of early frostsl to the
Gulf of Mexico, and that this country
can and will be independent of every 9th
er nation for sugar. This new process
will be tried on southern cane.